The Ultimate Target
by Eagle9177
Summary: Become a Vault Hunter, face a challenge like no other. This is what drew Zero to Pandora. To find a challenge greater than any other. But just what does that entail? The journey through Borderlands 2. Heavy focus on Zero, Maya, and another character who shall remain nameless for now. Rated M for Violence, Language, adult situations.
1. A Good Start

**Hey everyone! Welcome to my very first borderlands fic and second fic ever! **

**Okay just a note. All my AN's to follow will be at the end of the chapters (Including this one) They just contain my musings about the chapter and reasons for doing certain things. They will never contain spoilers. I think they can be beneficial to read. **

**Okay, now the disclaimer. I own nothing! All Borderlands characters, worlds, ect, belong to gearbox. **

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><p>It was cold, bitterly cold. Every inch of her body hurt like hell. Her ears were filled with a loud ringing, slowly it gave way but only to be replaced by howling wind. Maya very slowly opened her eyes to take in her situation. She was laying in the midst of a destroyed train, large bits of scrap and a few fires were the only things that broke up the white tundra surrounding her.<p>

She sighed to herself, not even a week on Pandora and already everything was going to hell. As if the bounty on her head wasn't enough, apparently she was now trying to be killed for being classified as a Vault Hunter. But she wasn't dead, and now she was going to absolutely destroy this Handsome Jack guy. Not only for petty revenge, although that was a VERY nice incentive. But also because she felt that would give her some of the answers she came here for. He was the one who put the bounties on Siren's after all, he must know something about them.

But first she needed to actually get moving. Groaning Maya pushed herself to her feet, her body screaming in protest the entire time, every single inch of her hurt. Luckily it didn't feel like anything was broken….or missing. Although her SMG was nowhere to be seen and it would be almost impossible to find it in the snow. Screw it, she had her powers, guns were nothing compared to that. As she trudged forward she could make out faint voices…shouting. She strained to hear against the howling wind.

"-ya! Maya!" The voice was distinctly male, one that she recognized. That soldier from the train, another of the Vault Hunters.

"Chica!" Another of the Vault Hunters, that short, burly man who spoke horrid English.

Maya instantly cursed herself for forgetting about them so quickly. She may not have known them that well but right now they were all in the same boat, plus none of them had seemed particularly horrid.

"Here!" She shouted back, moving at a quicker pace towards the noise. It wasn't long before she found the small group. The Commando, Axton, the Gunzerker Salvador, and that weird silent black armoured one, Zero. But there also appeared to be a new member, a small robot in Hyperion colors, it waved a small arm in greeting.

"Huzzah! Another minion to serve me!" It shouted excitedly, "My army grows ever more powerful! Now come minions, I Claptrap shall lead you out of this storm and to shelter!" The small robot then sped off into the blizzard.

The group of Vault Hunters simply stared at it for a moment before following along. Maya was utterly confused, but if it would get her out of this storm then she would play along for now.

"Hey, you okay?" Asked Axton, dropping back a few steps to walk beside her. Aside from a few scrapes and bruises he looked to be in good shape from the explosion, they all did.

"Yeah, I'm good." She said, not willing to show any weakness in front of the group. She could work through the pain, after a good rest she would be fine.

"Well glad you made it, it's nice having another good looking person to chat with." He said, a grin on his face.

Maya simply rolled her eyes and kept walking. It hadn't taken long to figure out that the Commando was a shameless flirt. But he appeared to be the harmless kind at least, he never said anything TOO offensive. During the train ride he had given her all kinds of compliments but she had never paid them much mind, he would probably flirt with that Claptrap unit if it had a female voice.

Luckily the walk to their shelter wasn't far. It was surprisingly homey. With several old sofa's surrounding a large bonfire. The entire group quickly made their way over to the roaring fire, getting as close as possible to heat their freezing bodies. Maya relished the heat as it coursed through her body, that alone was helping to dull some of her pain.

"Hey robot," Said Axton, "I don't suppose you have anything to eat in this place?"

"Hunger is a sign of weakness! You must be the weakest minion. From now on you shall be known as Cannon Fodder!"

"Why you little-" Axton immediately grabbed his pistol and aimed it at the small robot who sped away screaming.

"Bad minion! Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!"

The Gunzerker burst into laughter at the sight. He reached into one of the containers at his belt and pulled free several large sticks of…some kind of meat that frankly, Maya was scared to identify.

"Here you go," He tossed one of the sticks to Axton, "Chica?" He tossed her one as well before turning to their final companion, who deftly snatched it out of the air.

"Thanks," Said Axton, not even bothering to look at the meat before taking a bite.

Maya decided it would be wise to follow his actions and she took a blind bite. Tearing a chunk off the slightly tough meat she gave it a few tentative chews. It actually wasn't that bad.

"Thank you." She said to Salvador, giving him a polite smile. Despite his gruff appearance and apparent love of battle and carnage, he seemed to be a genuinely nice person.

"So anyone have any ideas on what the hell we do from here?" Asked Axton.

"Rip off Jack's arms and beat him to death with them?" Asked Salvador, grinning somewhat manically.

"Well I am all for that, but how do we go about doing it?"

"If the Cannon Fodder minion would stop trying to shoot me, I have a genius plan!" Shouted Claptrap from behind the corner where he was still hiding.

"Oh I am so shooting him," Axton growled, reaching for his pistol again.

"It can't hurt to hear his plan," Maya interjected, "I mean, obnoxious attitude aside, he probably has some useful information."

"Ah, I never could say no to a gorgeous lady." Axton answered with what she assumed was his trademark smile. "Alright, lets hear him out, but tomorrow, after nearly getting blown up I am in no mood to put up with him."

"Agreed," Maya nodded her head, only now realized just how tired she was. The warm fire and her aching body made sleep seem like a very compelling idea. She stretched out on the sofa, using her arms as a pillow she looked into the fire as she waited for her tired body to finally fall asleep.

"Let me know if you get cold, I got plenty of extra body heat," Axton gave her a wink and a smile as he lay on his own sofa.

Maya simply rolled her eyes at him. She was actually tempted to verbally accept his offer to see if he was just full of hot air. But then if he called her bluff…better to just ignore it. He probably meant no harm by it anyway. She shifted her eyes back to the fire, soaking in its warmth as she tried to sleep.

She lay there for probably ten minutes, but despite her exhaustion she couldn't quite manage to fall asleep. Judging from the loud snoring coming from Salvador, and the quite snoring coming from Axton, she seemed to be alone in that. Her eyes began to wander around the room, taking in what few details managed to stand out.

When her eyes fell to the opposite side if the room she was almost startled to see the black armoured man siting in a chair across from her. He wasn't doing anything strange, just sitting there, she was startled because she had actually forgotten about him. He was so quiet, he had only said his name on the train, Zero. That probably wasn't even his real name. Normally Maya would have just written him off as one of those guys trying WAY too hard to be a cliché of a badass ninja or something. But something about his movements told her that he was deadly. She hadn't gotten to see him fight on the train, he had quickly disappeared, but when he finally returned there was blood splattered on his armor and running along his sword.

Between all her apparent companions, he was the only one she really didn't have an opinion about. True she barely knew the others but first impressions were usually pretty accurate in her books. If she were to go with her initial reaction she would go with, poser. That's what she had first thought after seeing him for the first time, with his sword and refusing to speak more than his name. She had yet to see anything that proved otherwise, her gut told her something was off about him, told her that he was deadly. But maybe it was all just a façade. Time would tell she supposed.

Maya held in her sigh as she closed her eyes, still trying to force her body into sleep. Things had not gone how she had hoped. Then again, should she really have expected different? Pandora was renowned for being a brutal and savage planet. It really shouldn't come to a shock that Handsome Jack was trying to kill her, the majority of this planet wanted to kill her. Partially for the bounty but also because just about everyone she had met so far seemed to be some kind of raving lunatic bandit.

She had come here with the hope of finding some kind of link to her Siren heritage. Her research suggested that the vaults and eridium were very strong candidates to provide her answers. She had also heard rumours that one of the previous vault hunters had been a Siren. Maya desperately hoped that this unknown Siren was still alive. She had never met another of her kind before. After spending her whole life cooped up in the monastery she really didn't have much in the way of world experiences. All of her knowledge came from research she had done and what little experiences she had gained on her first week on this planet. Surely this other Siren would know more than her, could impart some kind of knowledge on her. Of course she had no way of knowing where this other Siren might be, it wouldn't be too much of a leap to assume this Siren was hiding her identity.

She had known her search for answers wouldn't be simple, but she wasn't planning on being thrown into this big of a mess. With the bounty on her head and the leader of an incredibly large and powerful cooperation out for her blood, things were going to get tricky. She didn't know why any of this was happening. Maya sighed to herself, yet more questions for her to answer. Still at least she had some leads, no matter how weak they may be. She yawned and her eyes began growing heavier, thankfully sleep was finally beginning to overtake her. She was grateful to put this day behind her.

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><p>Maya checked the beat up SMG over again. It had definitely seen better days, but it was something to fall back on. She couldn't use her powers all the time. She glanced around at the rest of the group who were likewise checking over their 'new' equipment. The Claptrap unit had apparently gathered them while they all slept, even losing his eye in the process, apparently some giant bullymong had ambushed him. Maya had thanked the small robot, despite his obnoxious attitude the little guy was pretty helpful.<p>

"Alright, this will do for now," Said Axton, racking the rifle and looking over the others, "Everyone ready to set out? We grab the robot's eye then make our way to Sanctuary I guess."

Claptrap had given them all ECHO units, almost immediately they had been contacted by the unknown being identified only as the 'Guardian Angel.' Maya wasn't quite sure what to think about her, she told them to follow Claptrap, but how could they really trust her? Everyone had been a bit reluctant but they all agreed heading to Sanctuary was there best bet for now. Salvador had backed up Angel's words by confirming that the city was indeed the head of the Crimson Raiders, the resistance against Jack and Hyperion. While Maya wasn't sure about this Angel person, she did trust the small native born Pandoran. Hyperion had tried to kill him too, what did he gain by lying?

"Let's go amigo's!" Laughed Salvador, hefting his two shotguns.

"Follow me minions! Even though I lost my eye, I know this glacier like the back of my hand." The little robot sped off, bumping into almost everything possible on his way out the door.

Axton groaned loudly but followed anyway, Maya and Salvador followed with Zero bringing up the rear. Outside the shelter it was freezing, but with the sun it was not as bitter as it had been last night. The Claptrap unit led the way, talking the whole time. Maya's body still hurt, every movement still produced a mild pain but she was doing much better after her rest. They hadn't made it far before all their communicators flared to life, stopping the group as they all looked at eachother in mild confusion.

"Hey there kiddo's, Handsome Jack here. Let me explain how things work on Pandora. Vault Hunters show up, Vault Hunters get killed. By me. I trust you can all see the issue right? If you could all just do me a favour and off yourselves right now, that would be great."

"This guy is a grade A asshole," Said Axton, trying to find a way to shut off the ECHO unit.

"No?" Jack still continued, "Okay, how about this. Zero, you're an assassin. How's about you kill those other three and I'll pay you their entire bounties plus a nice shiny crate made of gold full of more gold, mmkay? Thanks Pumpkin."

All of them turned towards the silent black clad assassin. No one drew any weapons, but all three of them had visibly tensed and eyed the assassin warily. Maya was ready to summon her powers in an instant. None of them had seen him in action yet, but underestimating him would be a mistake. She would much rather ere on the side of caution, she wouldn't die by making a stupid mistake. No one spoke, it was just one long staring contest, everyone against Zero. The wait was killing her. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife.

"You aren't seriously going to take him up on his offer are you?" Asked Maya, wanting to settle this as soon as possible.

"Not enough challenge/ Jack and the vault more worthy/ I will not kill you."

For a moment his words almost made the atmosphere more tense, his synthesized voice held no emotion, his posture did not relax. Not to mention he had just said they weren't worth his time to kill! Maya almost phaselocked his ass right then, she would show him who wasn't worthy. She had been training all her life for battle. How dare this little shit say she wasn't worth his time! Suddenly a smiley face flashed in front of his visor in bright red. Was that supposed to calm her?

"Come on minions!" Shouted Claptrap from up ahead, he must have noticed the lack of noise from the Vault Hunters.

"How about you go first?" Said Axton, staring right at Zero.

The response was twofold, first there was a loud gunshot from up ahead, then Zero's form flickered and disappeared.

"What the hell?" Maya spun towards the gunshot, running towards it, along with the others. Ahead, perched on the edge of a small bluff was Zero, firing into a group of charging Bullymongs. Claptrap was nearby, cowering in fear. Maya just stared dumbstruck for a moment, how had he done that?

"Protect me squire!" He shrieked.

The earlier situation was briefly forgotten as they all charged into the fray. Maya dropped one of the beasts with a burst to the face, Axton and Salvador each killed their own as well. Another crack from Zero's rifle and the last of the monsters fell. Then in an instant all the former tension seemed to return. The three of them warily eyed Zero as he nimbly leapt down and walked towards the group.

"What the hell was that?" Demanded Axton, his rifle was still held at the ready.

"Was a deception/ Jack's offer was expected/ precaution taken."

"So you don't intend to take him up on the offer?"

"No."

Maya was still wary of the assassin, despite his words. Not being able to see his face made it that much harder to discern if he was telling the truth, his synthesised voice also made it harder. He was still a complete unknown and now a potential threat. There was no way to tell if he would turn on them. True, there was also no guarantee that the others wouldn't either. But it was easier to trust someone who didn't hide behind a mask and disguise literally every aspect of themselves.

"Well for the moment, how about you take point? You know, until we can be certain you won't shoot us in the back."

As much as Maya hated treating someone like a common criminal, she agreed with Axton's idea. At the moment Zero was the biggest wild card. No one had actually SEEN him fighting Hyperion aboard the train, Jack had also just offered him a ludicrous amount of money to kill them all. It should be pretty understandable why there would be trust issues. Plus Maya was still a little pissed about the whole, not worth his time, thing.

Zero simply shrugged and continued ahead, everyone else taking up positions behind him. Claptrap was the only one who didn't seem to care as he sped up to move with the assassin. Maya found herself watching the assassin's movements very closely. Even with something as simple as walking, his every movement was graceful, he reminded her of a predator, like a great tiger, powerful and deadly.

His disappearing act unnerved her greatly. Apparently he could summon some kind of double, and then disappear. None of them had even noticed the switch. How were they supposed to defend against something like that? How would they know when they were talking to the real Zero or the decoy? She would need to watch him very closely, they all would.

"Hey! My eye just switched on! I can see a powerful group of minions and a handsome robot…which means that whoever has my eye…" Claptrap immediately hunkered down and began shaking.

Maya looked up to see a massive bullymong climb up onto the large glacial wall ahead of them, it snarled fiercely, beating its chest with all its arms, before leaping down, landing with a mighty thud. Zero reacted the quickest. In an instant the sniper rifle was in his hands and a shot rang out, striking the massive beast right in the face. It snarled in pain and charged the assassin. He smoothly rolled out of the way, firing at the beast again.

By now the others were running into the fray. Salvador firing his shotguns into the beast at near pointblank range. Axton was firing his rifle on full auto. Maya was readying her powers. She had never phaselocked something so big before, but she knew she could do it. Salvador was thrown back by one of the beasts massive arms. The short man just gave a brutal laugh, continuing to fire the entire time. Zero had backed up onto a small rise to Maya's left and was firing into the large animal, it was currently facing Axton so Zero was firing into the back of the animals legs, obviously trying to cripple it.

"They're coming out of the wall sphincters!" Shouted Claptrap.

Maya spun to looked at the robot, what the hell was he talking about? That was possibly one of the most repugnant things she had ever- Her eyes picked up movement along the glacier walls, large holes were dug into them, from which more bullymongs were emerging.

"Salvador, take out the new ones!" Shouted Axton, switching his fire from the massive bullymong to the smaller ones streaming from the walls.

Maya's attention went back to the massive alpha, only to find it charging right at her. She threw herself to the side, rolling in the snow and just barely avoiding getting crushed to death. She quickly leapt back to her feet, heart pounding in her ears she looked back to the alpha. It ripped a large chunk of ice from the ground and hurled it at her. She was forced to roll again, narrowly avoiding the projectile. Now she was getting pissed. Jumping to her feet she threw out her hand, her phaselock wrapping around the giant alpha and lifting it into the air where it struggled in vain to free itself.

Maya grinned at her power, firing her SMG one handed into the creature. The thing howled in pain and anger but still did not die. The next thing she knew, Zero leapt onto the creature, grabbing one of its arms and throwing himself up onto its shoulders. His glowing blue blade appeared in his hands and he slashed down into the creature's neck, with a single stroke he removed its head. Maya ended her phaselock, Zero nimbly did a backflip off the body as it crashed to the ground, he landed in a graceful, almost feline crouch, one leg stretched out to steady himself.

_Okay, that was damn impressive_. And very show offy! Maya almost had to force the last thought through her mind. She still didn't like this whole cliché assassin thing. Zero rose and looked back to her, a smiley face flashing across his visor again. Okay, that was kind of cute. Wait, no it wasn't! That must have just been the adrenaline…yeah that was a good reason.

"Everyone okay?" Asked Axton, jogging towards them with Salvador, they didn't appear to be wounded.

"Yeah, we are good," Maya gave him a polite smile.

"Excellent work minions! Now if you could retrieve my eye we can get moving." Claptrap said in his always excited voice. Maya walked over to the large corpse and pried the eye from the chain around its neck…stump "Now we just need to find someone to reinstall it for me. As much as I am sure you would love to ram your fist in my head, eye surgery is best done with delicate hands. I'm sure my buddy Hammerlock will help. Follow me minions!" And with that the small robot was speeding off again.

"How long do we have to follow this thing?" Grumbled Axton as they followed the peppy robot. Zero, of course was still in the lead, walking alongside the robot in question.

"At least until we get to Sanctuary," Said Maya, "Or until we meet someone more useful." She had to admit the robot may drive her to insanity before that.

Maya was torn between laughter and mild shock when she saw Zero's hand grab Claptrap's head and steer him away from a mound of ice he was about to bump into. She hadn't been expecting the assassin to be nice to the small robot. Maybe it was just because Claptrap was the only one not treating him with suspicion? That could be it. However she didn't sense any outwards hostility directed at any of them from the assassin. Maybe he just liked the little robot. Who knew? And why did she even care?! She supposed it was just because she liked solving mysteries, right now that was Zero. She also wanted to at least make up her mind on if they could trust him or not, therefore she was over analyzing every little action he made. Only time would prove his loyalty, as of now he hadn't done anything that could be perceived as hostile. She was still going to watch him closely though. They all would.

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><p>The bandit's eyes go wide, either from the sight of my blade or the way I just dismembered his comrade, I am not sure, likely both. I flip over him, landing at his back, instantly I sink my blade into his soft, weak flesh, I keep pushing until I bury the blade to the hilt, rupturing through his chest in a spray of hot blood that melts the snow around us.<p>

I relish the kill, the surge of adrenaline as it courses through my body. The smell of the blood, the sound of his breath as it hitches, then begins slowing, the feel of his heart beat becoming fainter, even the steam rising from the melting snow. I savour every last detail of the kill. I can't see his eyes, but I don't need to, I'm so close that I hear everything, feel everything, even through my armor. I don't need to see the life drain from his eyes, the look of fear that fills them, I can feel it. It's like a drug, rushing through every cell in my body, making me feel alive, powerful. This is what I live for, the challenge, the hunt, and finally the kill. A part of me wishes I could feel the hot blood on my bare skin, my true skin. But that is easily dismissed, it's simply a fleeting desire that always flickers at the back of my mind. I have become accustomed my armor, it is my second skin, the skin I show the world, the skin every one of my victims sees.

Then, all too soon the moment is over. The bandit is hanging limply on my sword, only held up by my strength. I pull the blade out, producing another spurt of blood. But it doesn't stir me. The joy of the kill is gone, all too soon. Like so many others. That's why I came to this planet, to find a challenge. To find a kill that wouldn't be so easily forgotten. That is my dream, my ultimate goal in life, the perfect kill. One that will never fade from my mind, that can constantly bring me a rush with even just the memory.

This is what I was born to do. Fight, hunt, kill. I will find the worthiest adversaries and I will test myself against them, I will kill them. It is what sustains me, drives my every action, my every thought. I was born, raised, bred to do this, how could I deny what is in my blood? What fool would? No, I revel in it, nothing makes me feel more alive. I follow the call of blood, both mine and my foes. I do not fear death for I know that if I die it will be at the hands of a truly worthy opponent, what more could anyone ask? But I have not found my rival, I have never even come close.

I have been to a multitude of planets. Killed an uncountable number of foes, but still failed to make my dream a reality. I can only pray to the Reaper that Pandora offers what I seek. I have yet to be challenged by this planet. The bandit's I encounter during my first weeks were pathetic, just like the one laying at my feet. I have only been surprised once by this planet, which was on the train. The bomb was a surprise, a cunning trap. It has piqued my interest and aroused my hopes. Handsome Jack…I pray you don't disappoint.

The sound of talking captures my attention. My... 'Companions' have gathered around the Claptrap unit. I like the little robot, his absurdity makes me laugh. The others don't seem to care for him, they are often annoyed by him. Perhaps that's part of my reason for liking him. I finally make my way over, all of them turn to face me, eyes wary. That's part of the reason I haven't killed them, or at least abandoned them. They at least show enough intelligence to be cautious of me. Also, they would not provide much challenge.

I sized them all up the moment they came on the train. The Gunzerker would be the easiest to kill. Despite his strength he is reckless, poor with aim, thus his constant use of two weapons. I would dispatch him with a single round to the skull fired from a safe distance. While it is not the ideal kill, it is the most efficient, he is not worth the time of my blade.

The Commando would provide a moment of challenge. He was skilled, a veteran of many battles, that was obvious. However that was also his weakness. He was arrogant of his abilities, it would be easy to goad him. The wedding ring he wore around his neck, attached to a woman's dog tags, engraved with the name 'Sarah'. Whether it was an ex wife or she had died, it would be easy to exploit that connection, make him reckless. I could get in close, using my decoy to distract him, I could slide my blade into his heart before he even knew what was happening. Humans were fickle when it came to emotions, it was often easy to exploit personal attachments. I have never seen the point of them, they made one careless, drive them to make rash decisions

Finally there was the Siren. She had been a surprise. I have never encountered one before, but I have read all knowledge that there was on the anomaly. I have always wanted to face one, to test their mystic abilities for myself. She would no doubt provide the most challenge. I actually hadn't been counting her when I told them they were not a challenge, but watching her reaction had been very informative. She was quick to anger if her abilities were called into question. That's the biggest weakness I have witnessed. Still there was always the chance that her anger could fuel her powers. I still needed to observe her more. A task I didn't mind in the least.

I have always found her kind fascinating and the opportunity to watch one up close is not something I am about to pass up. She is the true reason I am staying. As I approach within striking distance I can feel them all tense more, I can't help but smile. I enjoy seeing the fear I bring in their eyes. Part of me wants to give them a reason to attack, not out of pure bloodlust, but because I want to see the Siren use her power again. There is a beauty to her power, one I respect and desire to see more of.

When she used it against the bullymong I was almost frozen in place, entranced. The way her tattoos glowed a glorious blue. I could feel her whole body ignite with power, in an instant, I had changed my opinion of her. She had gone from an idle curiosity to an obsession. I wanted, I needed to see her powers again. If she does not disappoint then I may have finally found my ultimate target. The only creatures capable of providing the challenge I lust after. Who will win, Jack, or the Sirens? Only one shall gain my full attention. I hope it's the Sirens. After all there are more of them. Scattered across the galaxy, oh what a hunt it would be.

"Hey, Hammerlock old buddy! Since we saved your town from bandits, hows about fixing up your old pal Claptrap?"

"Oh very well, I suppose I do owe you. Come over, I'll power down the electric gate for you. Do let Claptrap go first."

The group followed the excited robot, I took the lead beside him, knowing the others still didn't want me at their back. Another wise move. Claptrap immediately ran into the gate and was promptly electrocuted. The others laughed as he fell, stunned. I simply watched as the newcomer arrived. He was missing two full limbs, but appeared to move fine with the mechanical replacements. I could tell by his movements that he was experienced, while his movements were rigid, there was a certain dexterity there. His eyes shifted over all of us, I can feel him gauge me. A fellow hunter. I smile beneath my mask, perhaps he will prove interesting company.

"My apologies for the deception, but I feel my brain cells dying whenever Claptrap speaks. Now if you would just give me his eye."

The Siren handed this, Hammerlock, the robots eye and he quickly, and somewhat viciously installed it. Almost immediately the little robot jumped up and began celebrating.

"I can see! And boy, you all are a lot uglier than I remember you being."

I chuckled at the small robot, it has been a long time since I have done that. Once more the others just look annoyed. They have no sense of humor. I listen as Hammerlock and Claptrap explain the situation to us. How we need to get to sanctuary, but to do that we need Claptraps ship, which is held by a bandit named 'Captain Flint' But before we can get that, Hammerlock has asked us to rid the town of bullymongs. The group agreed to do it for a small reward, I remained silent. Killing animals was not nearly as challenging as human foes. Other than brute strength they often offered little else.

"Aright, we may as well split up, make things quicker." Said the Commando, he seemed to have taken the role of leader of the group. Unsurprising. Although I was curious who he would pair me with, would he take the risk himself?

Almost instantly I can feel their eyes on me, but they are trying to make it look like they aren't looking at me. It's amusing. Part of me wants to see who will take the risk, they are fearful of me, I know it. They can't hide that from me no matter how hard they try. I am surprised how long the silence stretches. I thought the Commando would volunteer to fight with me, to impress the Siren, whom he clearly lusted after. However it was more likely that he wanted to fight with her, more opportunity to impress. The idleness is starting to irritate me, I care not who I fight with, I am more effective on my own.

"I don't need any help/ the graveyard shall me my goal/ return when finished." I didn't even bother to wait for a response. I care not for their mistrust, I am here to satisfy my own goals. Trust is not required. Although I am disappointed at not being able to see the Siren in action again. Perhaps if I am swift I can watch her.

Spurred by this I quickly make my way to the graveyard where several bullymongs are roving. I waste no time in snapping up my rifle and shooting one through the skull. Immediately they all turn on me but I have already dropped another. They are mindless beasts and charge right for me. I simultaneously holster my rifle and pull free my revolver. I empty all six chambers in two point three seconds. Still haven't beat my record. Three of the creatures fall to my bullets, I draw my blade as they near.

Gunshots from the gulley draw my attention and I rush to meet the remaining creatures. I don't want to miss the Siren in action. It's easy to sidestep the paw the swipes at me, I slash the things throat. Rolling to the side I avoid the final creature as it tries to pummel me with all its arms. It roars in anger and I shove my sword into its open mouth. I don't even savour what little pleasure the kills gives me as I run towards the gulley. The continued gunfire tells me I'm not too late.

Crouching at the ledge I watch the battle below. Nearly a dozen bullymongs lay slain. Only five remain. The Gunzerker is blasting one to bits with his shotguns, the Commando is killing another with a short burst to the head. But I don't care about them. My eyes immediately fix on the Siren. Truly the Reaper is smiling on me for she activated her power right then. Her tattoos glow that brilliant blue light and the bullymong is lifted helpless into the air. I notice that a nearby creature seems to be sucked towards the ball of energy, despite its obvious efforts to get away. Fascinating. It's like a gravity field.

She quickly unloads her SMG's entire clip, killing both the creatures. Her aim is steady and she does not hesitate. Clearly she has been trained. I am starting to like her. With every passing battle I can see more of a challenge. The other two have killed the final creature and collect what little loot they offered. The Siren looks up and sees me, I feel our eyes lock and I smile, my mask instantly projects this. My hopes have risen, I begin to gain more confidence in my decision. This planet will over what I seek. Will it be you Siren?

* * *

><p><strong>Okay since you already had one at the beginning I will keep this short. <strong>

**About the chapter. All of Zero's parts will be in the first person. I am mainly doing this to challenge myself as I have never written in the first person before. Let me know how I did on that, if people really dont like it I will change it. **

**Now for those who are already convinced this will be a Maya x Zero fic, just keep reading. Nothing is a guarantee, I know where it is going but I am not going to spoil anything. If you don't like them as a couple, still keep reading, like I said, I will not confirm or deny anything. **

**Most of the chapters will switch between Maya and Zero. However I will attempt to give everyone screen time. Most characters will get at least one of their own POV's. Also a fair warning, I am bad at writing humor. So you will probably notice a lack of it in the first few chapters. I will try to keep that element alive. There will definitely be a few chapters in the future that are purely humor driven. **

**The only issue I can see people having right now is how I moved Claptrap's eye theft to just a mere mention. To that I say...You got me, it was weak but I needed it to go down that way. I'll be better in the future!**

**Also for now I have no beta for this story, so all the editing was done by me. I did my best, but sorry in advanced. **

**Okay, that's all I got for now. OH! My future AN's will also address reviews that I think bring up good points and I think most could benefit from reading. That being said I greatly appreciate all reviews and CONSTRUCTIVE criticisms. Also, feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the story, I am always available for my readers! **

**Okay, that's it from me. Thank you all for reading!**

**Stay Classy. **


	2. Are You The One?

Maya was giving her new Maliwan SMG a final check, she was breathing heavily and sweat damped her brow. They had spent the past hour fighting through bandits, the bastards just never seemed to stop coming. They had finally made their way to the top of the ship, they were just outside the gate to the deck where Captain Flynt was bound to be. They were all doing a final check of weapons, healing any wounds, and just preparing for what would probably be a tough fight.

Maya sucked in a deep breath, doing her best to calm her pounding heart. This was the longest fight she had ever been in. Her training hadn't been nearly this intense, after all she had never been in any real danger all those years. The monks would never have risked her life like that. Still it was proving very useful, she would be dead without it. Her powers had already saved her half a dozen times. But no matter the danger she often found herself grinning in battle, she had never felt this alive!

On the rare times when she had been in need of assistance, Axton or Salvador had always been there. The three of them were actually working well as a team. Axton was good at providing general coordination, making sure none of them were ever cut off or advancing without support. Salvador was always at the head of the group, rushing into battle with guns blazing, he was lucky they could scrounge so much ammo off the bandits. Maya usually found herself somewhere in the middle of the group, her powers gave her great flexibility.

A faint flicker of motion drew her attention. She glanced to her left to see Zero appear out of thin air. It didn't even phase her anymore, he had done it several times during the battle. He was the only one who wasn't really working as part of the team. He had taken the lead during the initial attack. But he disappeared so often during the battle that it was hard to actually keep track of him. The best glimpses she got of the assassin was when he decided to engage in melee. He was absolutely brutal when he used that sword. His armor was spattered in the blood of his slain foes. Beheadings, slit throats, eviscerations, these seemed to be his favored kill methods.

Maya was slightly frustrated that the assassin seemed to be refusing to work as part of the team. True he was helpful, he had killed a large number of bandits on his own. But he never coordinated with them, never listened to Axton's calls. She swore that she had even seen Zero flip Axton off when he tried to give the assassin an order. _What a dick_. She didn't care if he wasn't used to working with others, or whatever his reasons were, there was no point in purposely being an ass to everyone. Okay, yeah Axton could get a little bossy in combat, but he was just trying to make them more efficient. This probably had to do with Zero still thinking he was better than all of them.

She had hoped that after fighting together they would be able to trust the assassin. But Maya was actually finding herself becoming more cautious of him, partially because of his skills that were continually being revealed. But also because it was becoming apparent he didn't give a shit if her or the others lived or died.

There had been an incident where a bandit had gotten behind her, grabbed her from behind. Axton and Salvador had been too busy to help. Her face still stung from the savage punch he had given her, throwing her to the ground. Honestly she hadn't been sure if he was going to kill her or try to rape her right there in the battle field, it was tough to tell with bandits. Her gun had been empty, and her Phaselock was active on another enemy. But she had seen Zero, over the bandits shoulder, and she KNEW that he had seen her, seen her situation. But his rifle did not kill her attacker, instead it fired at someone out of her sightline. The bandit had obviously been surprised when her arm began glowing and she slammed it through his chest. It was a power she rarely used, mostly because she was still getting the hang of it. It was likely that the adrenaline and momentary fear had given her powers a boost. Her arm was still covered in the bandit's blood. She would really need a shower after this.

After kicking the bandit off her she had been very tempted to shoot Zero in his fucking face. There was no way he didn't see her. Yeah she was more than capable of handling the situation herself, but still, they were supposed to be working together. Whatever, once they all got to Sanctuary then he could screw off and be on his own again.

"Everyone ready?" Asked Axton, glancing over his shoulder as he moved to the gate. Everyone gave him a nod and he kicked open the gate, running through first.

Maya was surprised that there were no enemies on the deck, or anywhere for that matter. Slowly they all spread out, eyes scanning the area. Claptrap moved to the lead and began shouting towards the bridge.

"Come on out Flynt! Your Claptrap unit has returned!"

Almost instantly great jets of flame began shooting up from the vents running along the deck. Axton jumped back with a curse, all of them looked towards the bridge as a booming voice echoed across the area. The same sadistic asshole they had been hearing the whole way up here.

"It's our new torture dolls boys! Let's turn up the HEAT!" The large, helmeted form of Captain Flynt, emerged from the bridge, brandishing a pistol and axe. He quickly leapt down onto the deck. More of his men came running out, some taking up positions to fire down on the Vault Hunters, while Psycho's followed their captain as he charged.

"Zero, take out those shooters!" Shouted Axton, throwing his turret to take up position facing the charging captain. He began firing bursts at those up top, leaving the captain and psycho's to Maya and Salvador, for it appeared Zero at least agreed they needed to take out the bandits up high. Each crack of his rifle signalled another dead bandit.

Salvador opened up with twin shotguns, felling several of the charging Psycho's. Confident the gunzerker could handle them, Maya focused completely on the captain. He was a big bastard. She quickly opened up with her SMG, blue electricity lacing over the captain. He literally seemed to just shrug the bullets off, howling in anger…or delight, it was tough to tell. He was weird. Maya rolled out of the way as he returned her fire, each round exploding and just narrowly missing her.

She bolted to a new piece of cover, reloading as she ran. Pressing herself up against the metal wall, Maya took in a deep breath before spinning from cover and firing again. He had been distracted by Salvador, her rounds took him full in the back, causing him to stagger forwards but he still did not die. Maya growled in frustration, reloading again as she ran from cover, straight for the captain. Her arm began glowing blue as she summoned her powers, she was going to take this brute down!

Wild screaming drew her attention, a flaming Psycho was charging right for her, waving his axe like the lunatic he was. Maya slowed her charge to fire a long burst right into the bandits face. As he fell she returned her attention to the captain who was smashing his axe down on Axton. The Commando raised his rifle to block the blow, he was thrown down by the impact, grunting loudly in pain. Maya thrust her hand out, throwing all her power into phaselocking the giant captain.

"WHAA? What's going on?!" The captain flailed, trying to break free, Maya simply grinned.

She loved this feeling, it made her feel even more alive than the combat. The rush of summoning her powers and then seeing them manifest. The surprise, fear, and awe from her foes was just icing on the cake. Before Maya could do anything to finish the captain there was a loud crack from Zero's rifle, then the captain's head exploded in a spray of blood, bone and brain. Maya let the corpse drop, turning on the assassin, he was standing on the other side of the deck, but even from here Maya saw the smiley face project on his helmet. Maya huffed, kill stealing dick. She just turned and walked over to Axton who was back on his feet, although his right arm was held awkwardly at his side.

"You okay?" She asked, allowing herself to show some concern.

"Heh, I knew you liked me," He said with a grin.

Maya rolled her eyes at him, he was persistent if nothing else, "What's wrong with your arm?" She asked, ignoring his comment. Yeah she did kind of like him, not in any kind of attraction, but he and Salvador were turning into something she could call friends.

"Dislocated it, he was a strong bastard." Axton kicked the corpse at his feet before looked back to her, "Would you mind helping me out with it?"

Maya nodded, she had gotten basic medical training in the abbey. She waited for the Commando to ready himself, after receiving a nod she quickly popped the shoulder back. He groaned slightly from the pain, but still gave her his trade mark smile.

"Well thanks beautiful."

Maya couldn't help but chuckle very faintly, at least he was cute. "You are never going to stop are you?"

"Nope, not even after you finally give into my charms," He winked at her, flashing another smile before walking towards Salvador.

Maya simply shook her head and walked over to join the other two men as they moved to where Claptrap and Zero were waiting near the bridge. At her approach Claptrap turned and began typing on a nearby console.

"Good work minions! Now we just have to get to my ship." The large metal door screeched open and Claptrap sped through. They quickly collected what loot there was before following Claptrap, he was standing at the edge of Flynt's ship, looking at the smaller ship that was simply waiting to be dropped into the see.

"There she is! Me mighty vessel! Now, drop her into the see ya scurvy dog!" Claptrap sped onto the ship with the others following.

They moved onto the small deck, following the small robot into the control room, Axton went to the console but before he did anything he turned to Claptrap.

"How long is this trip going to take?"

"A mere fifteen hours through freezing ocean and then we make landfall!"

"Okay," Axton groaned, as did all of them, "Does this ship have any supplies?"

"Of course! I stocked it with everything my future minions would need! Also it was Captain Flynts personal barge. Did I forget to mention my attempted mutiny?"

"Alright, lets get this show on the road I guess." He turned and pressed the release. With a lurch the boar was lowered, with mild gentleness, into the water.

"Alright!" Claptrap shouted excitedly, typing on the console that was just barely within his reach. "Let's set sail for Sanctuary! Toot toot!"

"I am going to kill myself," Muttered Axton, simply shaking his head as he walked below decks.

Maya and the others followed him, she really didn't want to be up top in the freezing air, nobody did. The ship wasn't exactly spacious, but she supposed it wasn't horrible either. The main room seemed to serve as everything, crew quarters, kitchen, rec room. A small bathroom containing a single shower along with the other basics was located off to the right, a small store room was to the left.

Salvador immediately ran to the kitchen, sorting through its contents, laughing excitedly as he began pulling items out and stacking them on the counter. "Oh Amigos! This is good! I'll make us a real supper tonight!" No one bothered to argue with the small man, he probably knew what he was doing.

Maya was just now feeling her exhaustion from the days events. Adrenaline was awesome, until it was gone and you felt like crap. As Axton began fiddling with a nearby radio she made her way into the bathroom, closing the door securely behind her. She let out a sift sigh, leaning against the counter, letting her head hang loosely for a moment. After a moment she looked back up at her reflection in the dirty mirror. Blood still covered most of her tattooed arm, more was splattered across her chest and stomach. Dammit she even had some in her hair, soot and dirt smudged her face and mixed with the blood on her clothes, she looked like shit.

How was she going to wash all this out? She doubted that there was a dryer for her clothes, even if there was, she didn't exactly have anything else to wear in the meantime. Maybe there was something on the ship. Leaving the bathroom she headed towards the store room, a quick glance at the bunks showing there wasn't any clothing there.

She sorted through the dozen crates in the room, almost loosing hope before she came across one full of large coats, and even a few pairs of large and baggy pants. It was likely gear for working outside in the frigid conditions. Maya held up one of the jackets and a pair of the pants, they would be huge on her, but it would do for now. Gathering up the items she headed back to the bathroom. Salvador was busy cooking, a happy smile on his face. Axton was sitting on a small sofa, working on his turret, the nearby radio was playing what sounded like…jazz. Of course Zero was nowhere to be seen.

Getting back into the bathroom she locked the door before stripping out of her clothes. The frigid air of the ship made her skin tingle as it was exposed. She turned on the shower, really hoping she would at least get warm water. Hell she would settle for lukewarm. A smile spread on her lips as she got the better option. She quickly jumped in, throwing her dirty clothes in the corner of the shower. The water felt amazing! She usually preferred her showers extremely hot, but after everything she had been through in the past few days, this was just as good.

Conscious that the water could run out or turn cold at any minute, she wasted no time in scrubbing the grime from battle off her body. When her body was as clean as she could make it she set to work on scrubbing her clothes. After a few minutes she shut the water off and grabbed the cleanest looking towel. Quickly drying off she put her underwear on and got into the much too big winter gear. The oversized coat was actually nice, it was pleasantly warm, as were the pants, only they were way too big and would require her to constantly hold onto them or else they would fall down. She wrung her wet clothes as dry as she could make them before leaving the bathroom.

One hand carrying her wet clothes, the other holding the baggy pants, Maya moved towards the heater unit, laying her now mostly clean clothes, out on the floor to dry. She would have to remember to flip them.

"Nice look!" Said Axton, giving a little whistle as he looked her over, chuckling faintly.

Maya just shook her head, smiling a little, okay she did look pretty ridiculous in the oversized clothing. She sat down on the same sofa as Axton, which was the only one, so she sat at the opposite end. Not to be rude, she just didn't want to encourage him in anyway. He simply smiled at her and continued tinkering with his turret.

"That thing kicked some ass today," She said, motioning to the turret, it had torn a group of Psycho's to shreds.

"My baby always gets the job done," He flashed her a smile, almost like a parent would when talking about their child.

Maya just nodded, of course he would refer to it was a woman. She leaned against the sofa's arm, finally letting her body relax and just enjoy the peace. Her clothing was warm, the music was gently drifting across the room and the smells from Salvador's cooking were making her mouth water. She was definitely content right now, this boat ride wouldn't be so bad. Maya could feel her eyes beginning to grow heavy, she wasn't even that tired right now, she was just very relaxed. A small nap didn't seem like such a bad thing right now. The others would wake her when supper was ready.

She didn't know how long she had slept, probably not that long as she was still in pretty much the same position when Salvador's call for dinner had woken her. As all her senses came back and the smell of the food hit her, all the tiredness left her body and Maya's stomach rumbled. She quickly made her way over to the table where Salvador had set all the food, along with four places at the table.

They all pulled up a chair and began dishing up their plates. "Salvador this looks amazing, thank you," Maya gave the man a warm smile.

"Just wait till ya try it," He said with a grin, "Then you'll really be thanking me."

Maya eagerly took her first bite and nearly moaned in pleasure. This was the best thing she had eaten on the planet, hands down. The food was spicy but not so much that it was difficult to eat, just the right amount. Eagerly they all dug into the food, sparing little conversation as they filled their empty bellies. As Maya dished up her second helping she thanked the gunzerker again and he just smiled, holding out his bottle of ale.

"Too good company! Glad you all survived that train." Salvador had a big smile on his face. Axton and Maya raised their drinks, gently clinking them together before taking a drink.

Maya had to agree with the native Pandoran's statement. She was in good company, and she was glad that Salvador and Axton were with her. They worked well together, and were pleasant company, even with Axton's nonstop flirting. Yes, she was content. They continued eating, eventually conversation began to spark up as their plates were emptied.

"So, what got you searching for the Vault, Sal?" Asked Axton, leaning back in his chair, ale in hand.

"Hyperion soldier told me about it as I was breaking his legs," The small man replied with a wild grin, they all knew he was telling the truth. "You?"

"Radio ad. I was off doing some bounty hunting and heard an ad. Riches, glory, danger, it sounded like fun so I hopped on the first flight here."

"What about you Chica?"

"Mmm, yeah, what brings a such a beautiful creature to such a harsh planet?" Axton was leaning on his elbow now, giving her his usual grin.

"I thought I could find information about Siren's here," She really had no reason to hide anything from them. It's not like her quest was a big secret anyway. "I thought there might be a connection with the vaults and eridium. I also heard that a Siren had been on this planet before."

"And the whole bounty thing didn't bother you?"

"I actually didn't find out about it until I got here."

"So what are you going to do once we get to Sanctuary? I mean, pretty sure Sal is with me on killing Handsome Jack to death. But what about you?"

Maya could tell it was a sincere question, she even saw a bit of concern in the commandos eyes. This is why she never got too upset at his flirtations. He was still a nice guy. "Honestly I am not sure. I only have shaky leads at best. But all of them involve the vault and eridium, which will lead me into conflict with Hyperion. So…I think I will help out with your plan," She flashed them a both a smile, which was returned. "Plus I figure Jack is the one who put the bounty on me in the first place. He must have some reason for it. Maybe it will give me some more clues."

"So we question him then, what was it you wanted to do?" Axton looked over at Salvador for a moment "Then we beat him to death with his own arms?" Axton grinned and Salvador laughed.

Maya felt herself chuckle faintly, "Yes I would like to ask him a few questions first."

"I think we can manage that."

Maya smiled again, taking another drink before finishing off the last scrapes on her plate. "Salvador that was fantastic, thank you." The short man simply smiled and nodded to her, "Who taught you to cook like that?"

"Mi abuela," At the confused looks they gave him he paused, seeming to struggle with the right words "My..."

"Mother?" Offered Axton.

"No, older!"

"Grandmother?"

"Ci! She taught me to cook." The man smiled warmly, it was very clear that he held great affection for his grandmother.

Maya just smiled at him, not knowing what to really say. She wasn't exactly familiar with the whole family thing. She had been given to the monks once it was realized she was a Siren. She had no memory of a mother or father, just the monks. Sometimes she wondered what her life would have been like if she were normal. Or had at least grown up on a normal planet, one not run by a crazy group of asshole monks.

Maya rose and began clearing her dishes, brushing the thoughts away. It was pointless to think about it. What's done was done, dwelling in the past served little purpose. She rinsed her dishes off and turned back to the table, helping the others to finish clearing it. She noted that Salvador still made sure to leave the fourth place set though. God he was even nice to Zero.

She honestly didn't know why he bothered though. There wasn't a chance in hell that Zero would eat with them. That would require removing his helmet, and god forbid anyone saw his face and the aura of mystery was dispelled. He tried WAY too hard to keep up the cliché. They hadn't even seen him since getting on the boat. Although for all they knew he could be sitting in the room right now, just cloaked. The thought made Maya tense slightly and she scanned the room carefully. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary but that mean nothing. She just calmed herself with the fact that he would probably find them too uninteresting to remain in the same room for so long.

Maya pushed the assassin from her thoughts as she headed towards the bunks, stopping to turn her clothes over first. As skilled as Zero was it wouldn't be that big of a blow when he inevitably left them. She knew he would leave, what reason did he have to stay? Sure there was safety in numbers, but he didn't think they were that skilled. So yeah, she was pretty sure he would bail once they reached Sanctuary. Whatever, it's not like it bothered her. After he just watched her fighting that bandit she really didn't care what happened to him. What kind of dick just sat there and watched someone get attacked? Especially someone who you were supposed to be working with?

Okay, yes they had still been treating him as a potential threat, but he wasn't doing anything to help his case! Maya grumbled to herself as she laid down on her cot, moving the covers away as she laid down. She wasn't quite ready to sleep yet, but she was getting there. She pushed thoughts of the assassin from her mind. Instead she focused on what was to come.

Once they reached Sanctuary it would be much easier to plan their next move. She knew that going along with the others would lead her to some answers. After all Jack, the vault, Eridium, they were all connected. Maybe she would even be able to dig up some information on the other Siren that had visited the planet. She wondered what the other woman would be like. The foolish part of her mind imagined some wise seer like woman who could give her all the answers she sought. The universe didn't work like that. Knowing her luck she would probably just wind up with more questions. Still it would be nice to meet someone like her. Her mind continued swirling with thoughts for some time, sleep slowly crept up on her and took her without her even realizing it.

* * *

><p>Taking Jack up on his offer would be so easy. None of them have noticed me, despite the fact that I have been in the same room the entire time. For a moment it seemed like the Siren had spotted me, her eyes had scanned the whole room very carefully but still she could not detect me. I wouldn't say that I am hiding from them, it's just easier if they don't see me. Then they don't have to bother trying to figure out if I am on their side. Besides, I don't particularly enjoy being scrutinized. I am not used to having people stare at me, or even see me for such an extended period of time.<p>

So I found a comfortable spot in the room, on top of a series of sturdy lockers. It's out of the way so none of them will bump into me, gives me a perfect vantage of the room, and even should I deactivate my cloak it's still very unlikely anyone will see me in the shadows up here.

Listening to their conversations as dinner had proved very dull, unsurprisingly. The most interesting bit of information came from the Siren, also unsurprising. It seemed she was looking for answers to her lineage. It appears she knows little more than myself on the subject. She also mentioned her hopes of meeting another Siren, that has also piqued my interest. This Siren was already proving to be capable, would this second one be even more powerful?

The very thought brings a smile to my lips, again it seems I have followed the correct path. With each passing battle I find myself growing more intrigued with the Siren. Every kill she makes excites me as it proves her skill and raises my hopes. She just may prove to be a worthy challenge after all. The longer I follow her the more of her abilities I see. Today had provided me with a very special treat indeed.

I had seen that bandit tackle her from behind, I watched the entire struggle with eager eyes. A small part of me had been tempted to help her, to ensure that my prize would remain alive long enough to fulfill my dreams. But that would have been detrimental, if she had needed my help then she wouldn't be what I was seeking. At any rate, she hadn't needed my help, oh far from it. I can recall perfectly as her tattoos lit up, the look of determination and ferocity in her eyes, her glowing fist as it erupted from the bandits back. I watched it all through the scope of my rifle, completely hypnotized. The blood as it rained down on her, formed rivers down her glorious tattoos.

When she unceremoniously kicked the body off her and rose, in all her bloody glory, my breath hitched. Something that has never happened to me. I felt something in that moment I have never felt before. Admiration. Even more strange and foreign, I had felt attraction. My eyes couldn't leave her in that moment. She stood strong in her victory, covered in her foes blood. In that moment she had been beautiful. I have never felt attraction to a human before. But I suppose she wasn't exactly human. Still, it is most strange. I suppose it makes sense. Never before have I encountered a being that I had such high hopes for, that had intrigued me to such an extent. It would be appropriate, in a poetic sense, if I was attracted to my ultimate target.

However this causes me a moment of distress. I am…unfamiliar with feelings of attraction. I do not know how to process this, how to even react to it. Is this a sign? If this how I know that this Siren will be the one to make my dream come true? Is she the one, my ultimate target? Perhaps this feeling of attraction will make the battle, and the eventual kill, all the sweeter. Perhaps some form of attraction is needed to achieve the one kill that will never fade from my memory. I have never felt this before, neither have I ever achieved the ultimate kill. This must be a sign.

I had considered abandoning the group once we reached Sanctuary. But now, I know that I cannot. She must be the one. She is the one I have been searching for, the greatest target of all. I know now that I must stick with this group. Watch her powers as the reveal themselves, watch her grow more powerful. This mission she and the others have set themselves on, it will be dangerous. I may even have to protect her, should it come to that. Until now I would have considered that a weakness, proof that she was not worthy of my time. But with this feeling…she must be the one, it is the only explanation.

I cannot fight her battles for her though. No, the wisest course would be to protect her from unseen threats. I shall only assist her from foes she cannot defend against. Foes that I know she could handle given the opportunity. Then she can grow to her full potential, show me everything she is capable of. Once that is done, once she is ready, I can finally make my move.

I try to imagine what it will feel like, engaging the Siren in battle. I am certain that nothing in my life will even compare. It will be the most glorious moment of my life. Once more a smile touches my lips at the thought of the Siren. Finally after so long, I have found what I have yearned for all my life.

My lifespan is longer than that of humans, how much longer, I do not know. For I have never met any of my kind before. By my own count I am eighty-seven human years. How much longer will I live, that is not something I cannot answer. My body does not feel aged, I do not view my face much but I believe it would still be considered youthful. I am sure many would put myself and the Siren at the same age. But it is the unknown that worries me. Since I cannot be sure of my natural lifespan, my search is all the more desperate. I do not know what time I have left. I had begun to lose faith in ever achieving my dream. Until I came here, to Pandora. Until I saw her.

My eyes drifted over to the sleeping Siren. Unlike the other two she was silent in her slumber. In perfect silence I leap off my hiding place and walk over to her. She is sleeping on her side, I crouch down to look into her face. She does not notice me, but this is expected and desired. As I gaze into her peaceful face I realize just how much of my hopes I have placed in her. What if I am wrong? How would I recover from that? Perhaps I am placing too much faith in her, after all there are things about her that make me doubt.

Her emotions are easily exploited. I have noticed how easy it is to enrage her. While she has not stated it outloud, I have seen the anger in her eyes as she looks at me. When I did not shoot that bandit attacking her I sincerely thought she was going to turn her powers on me. She struggles to control her anger. I have noticed that her aim, while not poor, is certainly not as refined as it could be. Apart from the bandit today, I have yet to see her melee capabilities. She does move with a certain grace, leading me to suspect that she does have at least some training there. It is clear she has received training in all fields, but it is also obvious that she lacks real world experience, which is what makes someone truly deadly. No amount of training can substitute for the real thing.

Yet despite my doubts I cannot stop myself for placing my hopes in her. It must be this attraction. The more I think on it, the more certain I become that it is a sign. She is the one. I am meant to travel with her, watch her reach her potential, even help her if necessary. Then she will provide me with the challenge I seek. I had hoped that my ultimate target would already be ready for me, ready to provide the challenge I thirst for. Perhaps I should be looking at this like a long hunt. Waiting patiently for my target to reach the killing ground. It will be a long journey, but that should make the end all the more memorable.

I smile again, satisfied with my rationales, after all they are the only things that make sense. My search for the ultimate target leads me to this Siren who in turn brings about something I have never felt before. It cannot be unrelated. She is the target I have searched for my whole life. I will have to wait until I know it is time. I am sure there will be another sign, just like this one. Something will change that will let me know she is ready. The Siren shivered slightly as the oversized coat fell from her shoulder and uncovered her skin. I silently pull it back up and then cover her with the blanket bunched up at the foot of the bed. Until that time comes I shall have to ensure she stays alive.

* * *

><p><strong>Alright ladies and gents! Another chapter.<strong>

**Okay so not much to say about Maya's part here. Just building on her relationships with the others for the most part. **

**Now onto Zero's bit, Which I am sure will cause the most discussion. First of all I just want to get this out of the way. Zero is NOT in love with Maya! Merely just realized a certain level of attraction based on her powers. Okay, not that's out of the way. **

**I also delved a bit more into Zero, what he wants, his way of thinking. Obviously he hasn't had a normal life, thus leading to him never having experienced any kind of attraction before. That's why he is all confused about this attraction. Since he has never found the his ultimate target, nor been attracted to anyone before, they must be linked right? Totally, if you are attracted to them it must mean you are supposed to kill them. Way to go Zero! **

**As for his decision to try and keep Maya alive. That is really just born of his inability to properly process all these new emotions. I wanted to highlight that while Maya is well trained, she has no real world experience, no true battles to let her grow stronger. Zero sees this, he sees her growing potential and wants to help her reach it. So he can kill her...yeah, he is a weird dude. Anyway, that's the best I ca explain it right now. Any questions or concerns about it, leave it in a review or PM me for an immediate answer/ clarification. **

**A quick note on update schedules. This is my secondary story, I am working on a huge ME/SW cross over (Yay for shameless self promotion!) That one does take up alot of my time. But this story is flowing really nicely and is a joy to write. I will guarantee an update at least once a month. I am aiming for 2 though. If there is ever going to be a delay longer than a month I will say so. **

**Okay, that's it from me! No reviews since I uploaded this at the same time as the first. **

**All reviews are extremely welcome and appreciate. Constructive criticism is always appreciated, along with questions, concerns, or just love. Ha ha. Okay, I'm done now. **

**Stay Classy.**


	3. A Change In Opinion

Maya watched as Axton knelt next to the fallen Corporal Riess. The man was dead, they had arrived too late to help him. The Commando moved the dead man's hands to rest gently on his stomach, covering the brutal wound that had led to his death. There was little else they could do for him. They still had to retrieve the power core for Sanctuary and to do that they had to fight through the bandits responsible for this man's death. While none of them actually knew the fallen Crimson Raider they all respected his dedication, he had gone down fighting, trying to complete his mission.

After a relatively peaceful boat ride (Apart from Claptraps beatboxing) it didn't take them long to be thrown into another mess. They weren't far from Sanctuary though, once this was done then finally they could all sit down and figure out how to proceed. Maya was certain once they spoke to this Roland then they would have a much clearer goal. She could also look for more information regarding Siren's, also any possible leads to the Siren who had once visited here.

"You guys ready to go kill some Bandit assholes?" Asked Axton, rising from the fallen soldier to look at the rest of them.

"Kill'em all." Salvador had a determined look on his face as he readied his weapons.

"He fell in battle/ a true warrior's death/ he shall have vengeance." They all looked in surprise as the assassin spoke. Partially because he almost never spoke. On the boat ride here he had spoken no more than four times. But they were also surprised because of his surprisingly kind words. The few words that Zero did speak had never been complimentary, kind, or anything even remotely like that. He usually just stated facts or observations, often very critical.

"I agree," Maya said, still glancing at the assassin, "Let's kill those bastards."

Axton nodded and quickly took the lead, weapon ready. They had dropped the whole idea of making Zero lead. They had realized how pointless it was since he could just disappear whenever he wanted. Plus if he was going to kill them by now then he would have done it. Maya still didn't trust him, neither did Axton, but they would just have to work past that for the moment. Besides, she was still certain he would leave them once they reached Sanctuary.

It didn't take them long to locate the bandit camp. Axton wasted no time in charging forward, his rifle barking in short bursts. He threw his turret right into the center of the camp where it quickly started cutting down the Psycho's as they foolishly tried to rush the thing. Salvador was sweeping along the left, his dual assault rifles rained bullets on any enemies that were within his sight.

Maya quickly ran up the stairs to the second level where a number of bandits where firing down at the group. Her SMG cut down the first that came within range. Unfortunately these bandits were smart enough to shift their fire on her, forcing her into cover. She quickly reloaded the mostly empty mag before spinning from cover and returning fire. She managed to take one out with a burst to the head, although even she had to admit it was a lucky shot. A Psycho broke from cover and charged her wildly. She emptied her remaining mag on the lunatic but she only managed to deplete his shields. Summoning her powers she thrust out her hand and Phaselocked the madman.

The bandits seemed to care little for her display of power as they continued firing on her, forcing the Siren back into cover. She reloaded as quickly as possible, conscious of her fading power. Just as she slammed the mag home her powers faded, she was about to lean from cover when the Psycho burst out infront of her. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest as she saw his axe descending on her. She channeled her power, hoping she hoping she could strike the bandit before he got her. Both of them were halfway through their strike when the Psycho's head exploded, showering her in blood and brain.

Maya stared dumbstruck for a moment, her eyes blinking rapidly. She could see Axton and Salvador on the ground, they hadn't shot the bandit. It was just then that Maya noticed her position was no longer being pounded by gunfire. Moving from cover she looked at where the other bandits had been. She saw their bodies on the ground, one missing a head and the other had his guts spilled out beneath him. She saw Zero standing in their midst, rifle in hand, it swung from her position over to a group of bandits at the far end of the catwalk.

Zero had just helped her? What in the hell was going on? He must not have known she was there…okay that was a terrible excuse. But she just couldn't believe that he had done that. _Worry about it later! _Maya instantly shook her head, listening to her inner voice she quickly jumped back into the fray.

Charging past Zero, who was sniping an enemy on the ground, she ran right towards a Nomad who was just emerging from a shack. She instantly phaselocked him, still moving forward she unloaded her entire mag into the large bandit. She didn't watch his corpse fall to the ground as she rounded a corner, entering into a small over watch where another bandit was firing down at Axton and Salvador. Maya charged her powers and slammed her glowing fist into the bandit's skull, essentially exploding it as she punched clean through it.

"Gross," She muttered, shaking the bandit-bits off her arm. A few more shots echoed through the camp before everything became quiet. Maya quickly jumped down and rejoined the others, Zero was already there. Salvador had what was likely the power core in his large hands.

"Hey Roland, we got your power core and killed all those assholes that got Reiss." Axton reported over the ECHO as they all began the walk back to their vehicles.

"That's great news. And thank you for what you did for Reiss, it's not much but at least those bandits won't be killing anyone else. Alright, head on back to Sanctuary and-" Gunfire and static blared over the communication, "Ah hell, I'm under heavy attack, I'll see you back in Sanct-" There was an explosion and the transmission went silent.

"Well that sounded good," Axton said sarcastically. "Who wants to bet that we are going to have to find him once we reach Sanctuary?" Nobody took him up on the offer.

They quickly reached their vehicles. Zero and Axton each jumped into a driver's seat, as they had done before. However instead of going with Axton, Maya climbed into the gunner's seat of Zero's vehicle. She saw the Commando give her a very confused look, which actually made her chuckle. She was probably more confused than he was.

The vehicles began moving and Maya took a moment to collect her thoughts. She was still incredibly confused by Zero's actions. Every conflict they had been in so far, the assassin had done nothing to assist anyone, he always left them to their own fights. But there was no way he didn't know she had been fighting that Psycho, so why had he suddenly decided to help her?

She tried to think if she had done something to warrant such an action but nothing came to mind. The boat ride here she had mostly interacted with Salvador and Axton. Zero usually was nowhere to be seen the vast majority of the trip. She had spotted him in a few passing glances. Axton had asked him why he was seeking the vault. He had muttered some haiku about challenges, glory, and targets. She couldn't really remember because she quickly wrote it off as another constructed moment to reinforce the cliché. She couldn't recall any instance where she had been nice to Zero. So why had he helped her?

"Hey Zero," Well it was worth a shot, "Why did you help me back there? When you shot that Psycho."

"A foe you could kill/ but a chance prevented it/ no harm in helping."

Maya blinked a few times as she thought about his words. Dammit she really hated the way he spoke. "So you knew I could have killed him on my own, but just got unlucky?"

"Yes."

Okay, that kind of made sense. Sort of. "But what do you mean there was no harm in helping? How would helping ever be harmful?"

"He was no challenge/ no experience gained/ unlike true challenge."

Maya wanted to scream at him, damn these stupid haiku's! Why couldn't he just talk normally? She took a breath to calm herself and once more set about deciphering his words. If she understood correctly then he didn't think the Psycho gave her a challenge, so it was okay to kill him for her. Wait had he just complimented her skills? Maya felt herself smile slightly, he had!

"So if I had been facing a real tough opponent you wouldn't have helped?" She asked as she thought she figured out the final part.

"Correct."

"Umm…why? Isn't that when people usually need the most help?"

"Challenge gives growth/ makes us all stronger for it/ challenge essential."

"So you want me to become stronger?" She was pretty sure she had that one right.

"Yes."

"Why?" She still didn't get WHY he was doing this. If anything she was more confused now. Why was it important to him that she got stronger? And where was all this coming from in the first place? He didn't seem to give two shits about her back on the glacier. This was also the most he had ever spoken at a time. Although to be fair she hadn't really tried to talk to the assassin until now.

"Don't you want to be?" His helmeted head glanced back at her then. He had a point.

"Yes I do." If she became more powerful that would mean unlocking more secrets of her lineage. It would mean gaining more experience in the real world. It would mean she would be able to do so much more and not have to rely on anyone. As much as she liked Axton and Salvador she knew that times would come when she could not rely on them. They had already saved her life a few times. Today Zero had also saved her life. She wouldn't have killed that Psycho in time, she was under no illusions about that.

Zero flashed her a smiley face before looking back to the road. Maya smiled faintly in return. This was an incredibly surprising turn of events, but one that she was glad for. Her reservations about the assassin weren't entirely gone but they were easing up a little bit now. _Guess saving my life goes a long way_. She was close to dismissing all thoughts that Zero would betray them, his actions today directly contradicted that thought. Plus despite everything, he had seemed sincere in their conversation…well as sincere as a synthesized voice can sound.

For the first time since meeting the assassin, Maya found herself wondering what was behind that mask. Was he a robot? An alien? He obviously wasn't completely human. Unless he just happened to be missing the same finger on each hand. But Maya doubted that, his whole hand appeared to naturally conform to only having four digits. She sincerely doubted she would ever know the truth though. What with the whole cliché thing he had going.

They came to a stop in front of the city gates, which were quickly opened for them. Speeding through they located the Lieutenant and quickly replaced the power core. Just in time to stop a large orbital bombardment it seemed. The Lieutenant informed them that Roland was missing and they needed to find him, of course. So the group headed into the city itself to meet up with the mechanic.

Sanctuary was…well about what one would expect for a city on Pandora that was also the resistance headquarters against Hyperion. It was dirty, busy, and you were liable to get shanked. Of course their little group seemed to be exempt from that last one, judging from the looks they were getting, a mixture of fear and awe. Although Maya noted that most of the looks lingered on her and Zero. She wasn't surprised about the looks she got, it wasn't exactly uncommon for people to stare at her, being a Siren and all. The amount of looks Zero got surprised her though. Until she thought about it. He was a tall, armoured ninja, of course he would get looks. Maya did note that Zero appeared to go a bit more rigid as they walked through the city. Was he nervous or something?

They met Scooter, who was…an interesting guy. He explained his plan, which sounded absolutely ridiculous but they still promised to help. Although he also mentioned they should go to the Raider HQ and see if Roland left any kind of message detailing a contingency plan. Deciding it was best to split up and get this all sorted out as soon as possible, Maya went with Zero to the HQ. Once again grinning at the surprised look Axton gave her.

She wanted to keep chatting with the assassin. As much as his manner of speaking infuriated her, she was finding that speaking to him was helping her make up her mind on him. She positioned herself so she could walk just a step behind him, doing her best to analyze him. By the time they reached the HQ and were let in by a wide eyed guard, who Maya was certain stared at her breasts, Maya had made up her mind that Zero was definitely uneasy with all the stares he was getting, something further reinforced by his relaxing shoulders as they entered the mostly deserted HQ.

"Better now?" She asked with a faint chuckle, it was kind of amusing seeing him uncomfortable. Maybe she also liked it because it reinforced that he was human.

"It is a strange thing/ for others to notice me/ rather be unseen."

Maya supposed that made sense. He was an assassin after all so he likely didn't like people staring at him. That actually made her like him a bit more. Maybe he wasn't trying super hard to achieve the cliché. Maybe he just really was like that. He did appear genuinely uncomfortable when people stared at him. So now it was just the haiku's that were still pissing her off. Today was proving to be a very productive day in the Zero department.

They headed upstairs and found the ECHO unit left for them. After being contacted by this mysterious Firehawk, they decided to wait for Axton and Salvador.

"I like the digs," Said Axton, looking around the HQ as he walked in.

"So, looks like we are going after this Firehawk person," Maya quickly relayed the transmission they had received.

"I really hate the whole disguised voice thing," His eyes shifted to Zero and he flashed a smile, "Present company excluded of course."

"So what do you think? Seems pretty important, should we head out right away?"

"It doesn't look like it's that far on the map. I say we rest up and re-arm then head out. Meet at the gates in an hour?"

Everyone nodded in confirmation. Salvador made a beeline for the nearest ammo machine, Zero just disappeared as per usual. Maya simply leaned back on one of the sofa's just grateful for a break. Axton sat down opposite her and began repairing his turret from the fight earlier today.

"So, what's with you going with Mr. Tall, dark, and mysterious?" Asked the commando, giving her an amusing grin.

"He saved me earlier today," She had known the question was coming. "Up until now he has been a closed off, un caring dick. So I wanted to know what was up."

"And?"

"He isn't so bad," She found herself smiling faintly at the words. She was just happy to not have been totally right about the assassin. It looked like he was sticking around and perhaps that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"I'm still not letting him get within knifing distance."

"If he wanted to kill us he could have done it a dozen times already. I don't think we have to worry about him betraying us."

"Man he must be a real smooth talker to have you changing your tune all of the sudden." Axton gave her that damn grin again.

"I just think we may have misjudged him." Okay, she was changing her opinion pretty quickly, but she felt like there was good reason to. "He saved my life today. Plus none of us have really tried to get to know him yet. After talking with him for a bit…I don't know, I just think we should give him a chance."

"I suppose it couldn't hurt. He didn't flip me off today, so thats progress I guess." Axton said with a laugh. After he finished with his turret he began cleaning his rifle. As he leaned forward the tags around his neck slipped from his shirt and caught Maya's eye.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" She had noticed the tags and the ring around them on the train but had yet to ask him about them.

"You know you can," He said with a wink.

"That ring around your neck…" She didn't quite know how to phrase the question. What if the rings owner had died?

"Oh that? Yeah, it's my Ex wife's. Same with the tags. She gave them to me before I went AWAL." His hand gently flitted over the tags and ring before returning to the rifle.

"I'm sorry," She really didn't know what to say. Her information of relationships in general was extremely limited, actually it was pretty much non-existent.

"It's fine," He said with a shrug. "We parted on good terms. I don't hate her and she doesn't hate me…probably."

"Do you ever think you will remarry?" She was intrigued by the idea of marriage and relationships in general. She would die before she admitted to the small collection of romance novels she had back in the abbey. She was also just surprised that Axton had married in the first place, he seemed to love being single.

"Take me on a date and let's find out," He gave her his trademark smirk again.

Maya just rolled her eyes at him, chuckling slightly. Part of her wondering if all his flirtations and confidence was just a façade. He seemed to take the topic of his failed marriage pretty lightly. But he wouldn't be carrying the woman's tags and ring around his neck unless she had meant a great deal to him. The way his hands and brushed against them as he spoke of her. Maya was almost certain he wasn't as over it as he seemed. At the very least he still loved his ex-wife.

Maya did a quick check of her ammo reserves, once she was satisfied with them she leaned back on the sofa, she may as well get in a quick nap. Knowing their luck they would have to fight through a few hundred bandits before they finally got to the Firehawk. Of course that could still prove fun.

* * *

><p>With a gentle squeeze of the trigger I watch as the Nomad's head explodes and his body falls to the ground. Pulling off the perfect kill shot is always a satisfying feeling. All around me is a swirling battle. We have been fighting to get to the Firehawk for almost an hour now. It has been a most exciting battle thus far. My heart is racing and I feel alive with ever kill. Many foes have fallen to me this day, many more shall follow.<p>

I holster my rifle as a group of Psycho's run beneath my position, heading straight for the Siren and the Commando. Grabbing the rail with one hand I vault over, landing on the shoulders of one of the bandits, knocking him to the ground, I drive my blade through his skull. Pulling it free I spin to slice another open, hot blood sprays over me and I grin. I quickly sidestep the axe coming down at me, my blade removes the attackers arm before slitting his throat. The final Psycho slashes wildly, I easily deflect the attack and counter, thrusting deep into his chest. I watch the life leave his eyes with a grin before allowing his lifeless body to fall to the ground.

Once more though I am quickly disappointed. No matter the hopes I have for the Siren, there is one thing she can never give me. A duel. I want to test myself against an opponent in melee combat. I want to feel my heart pound with exertion, I want to feel my arms shake at every clash of weapons. I want my legs to grow weak from fatigue, to be forced on the defensive, to be knocked to the ground. I want to be challenged! Every time I engage in melee it invigorates me more than anything else, even a kill. Because no matter what, I get the faintest glimmer of hope that they will provide a challenge.

Alas I am always wrong. It seems to be a dying art and no one has even been able to match me. Even though I have placed my faith in the Siren, believing her to be my ultimate target, I cannot ignore the fact that she cannot give me this, my forever denied dream. I have long given up on this idea. But I cannot stop the excitement and hope that continually arises in me when I do get to fight a foe like this.

"Zero!" The call shakes me from my thoughts, I recognize the voice as the Siren. Instantly aware of my surroundings again, I react to her obvious warning and spin, pulling the revolver from my side to shoot the charging suicidal psycho in the head. I turn back to the Siren, who is wearing a look of relief, I flash her a smiley face to know her actions are appreciated. I would have noticed the psycho before it was too late, still her warning is appreciated.

Ever since our discussion earlier today she seems to have warmed to me. No longer does she have an annoyed or dismissive look upon her face when she looks at me. Several times throughout the fight she has even smiled at me. An action I cannot help but admire. Something about her smiling just changes the way she looks. I approve of it.

I am still confused by my feelings of attraction. I understand them now and how they signal her as my ultimate target. But I am simply unused to these thoughts, these feelings. I had hoped they would be easy to dismiss, or at least would not hinder me. However several times since my realization I have found myself simply observing the Siren. Not gauging her, not analyzing her, as I would with any other target. Simply watching her, even admiring her…aesthetically. It is a very strange thing to do.

"Badass psycho!" Shouts the Commando.

I turn my attention to the disproportionate psycho. He is close so I quickly move in to engage with my blade. The others attempt to draw his focus but I am on him too quickly. He slams his axe down but I roll back to avoid it, simultaneously activating my cloak and deception. I quickly skirt around the foe, giving myself enough room to perform the manoeuver. The psycho smashes his axe down on my double.

"Zero!" It is the Siren again, but this time it is not a friendly call of warning. It is more akin to a scream, one filled with fear.

I file it away for further consideration, my mind is completely focused on the task. My double vanishes and I sprint forward, leaping with all my strength, I slam my blade through the psycho's neck, burying it to the hilt. The bandit falls forward in a gush of blood. I pull my blade free and ride down on his back, rising to a faint crouch as the body hits the ground. I look over to the others who are all wearing a look of confusion, although I can see relief in the eyes of the Siren.

"How the hell did you do that?" Asked the Commando, the confusion evident in his voice.

"It is deception/ can be used at anytime/ it is very useful"

"Yes but what was it?"

I quickly activate my deception again, the double appears and stands motionless next to me. I am surprised by the shock in their voices and on their faces. While I do use this ability sparingly, they have witnessed it before. When Jack made the offer for me to assassinate all of them. Are their memories that short?

"Okay, I am a bit jealous. I want one." The Commando said with a grin before heading to the tunnels that would lead us to the heart of the Firehawks base.

"Just warn us next time eh amigo? Thought you were a gonner." Said the gunzerker as he followed.

The Siren pulls up next to me as I begin to follow. "Scared the shit out of me," She says, even going so far as to shove me lightly. She has been making several attempts at comradery throughout the day. I suppose it is not entirely unpleasant.

"Apologies," I tell her. It seems odd that she would worry for me. After all it was only yesterday that she likely wouldn't have cared if I died. I am once more surprised how quickly she has changed towards me. It seems like she appreciated my honesty while explaining to her my reasons for saving her earlier. Although I didn't tell her the whole truth. I thought she wouldn't like the idea of her being my ultimate target whom I was going to kill once she was stronger.

Still, I am glad at the reaction she showed upon my question. She truly does want to become more powerful. She wants to unlock more of her Siren abilities. She wishes to hone herself into something greater. That is a goal I greatly respect and understand. Challenges make us stronger, better us. I know she will challenge me, when the time comes. Her rate of progression is quite remarkable. With every passing battle she seems to become more refined, her aim, reaction time, control, awareness, all of it is slowly improving. Although her aim could use the most work by far.

The Commando leads the way through the tunnels, past the pathetic excuses for traps. I can't believe how many of the bandits actually fell victim to them. Disgraceful. As we enter a large cavern the sounds of fighting reach my ears. The others break into a run and I follow. I have to admit to a bit of curiosity towards this Firehawk. They have earned the anger of many bandits, clearly they must be capable. Perhaps he will prove a challenge. I smile at this and my pulse begins to race just a little bit in excitement. My long legs allow me to easily pass the others, I wish to see this Firehawk in battle and don't want to miss it.

I run up the steps to see a group of psycho's rushing in on their target, blocking my view. I think about intervening but decide against it. I want to see this Firehawks skill. A great orange light erupts from the center of the chamber, a wall of fire springs forth from the center, incinerating the bandits, giving me a clear view of the target. My eyes go wide. Her tattoos are glowing a brilliant orange, great wings of a matching color, made of pure energy, are sprouting from her back. She looked up at me through her blood red hair, a faint grin on her face. I cannot help but return her grin, but mine has an even greater intensity. I have found another Siren

* * *

><p><strong>Alright! 3rd chapter down! <strong>

**As always this one was alot of fun to write. Don't really have much to say about it actually, I think it went well. Still don't have a beta but I did my absolute best to edit so hopefully it's not bad. I will say again though that I am not very good at writing humor, so this story is going to have a more serious feel than the actual game. Although I will try to interject some humor when I can. Also you may notice that I am glossing over specific game events, mostly the scripted ones. That's because the game script is awesome and I don't feel the need to change it nor simply restate what happens in the game. Obviously some events will be changed, but for now they are all pretty standard. Hopefully it's not too offputting. **

**Okay, another note regarding characters. Gaige will be in this story, Kreig will not. My reason for that is simple. Kreig is VERY hard to write and I simply cannot to him justice, therefore I am going to leave him out of the story all together. Coming up with Zero's haiku's is hard enough, add in Krieg's wacky speech...nah, can't do it. By the way thank you all for appreciating that I am keeping Zero's haiku's, they are not easy! I am sure I screwed a few up, but hey, I'm trying. **

**Also a quick note. the majority of chapters will likely be longer than this one. This was just a good stopping point before getting into the following content. **

**Now this is normally the part where I address issues/ criticisms people bring up in reviews that I think are very good points and everyone could benefit from hearing discussed. However y'all are being way too easy on me! Ha ha. Seriously though, thank you all for the incredibly kind words and support! I am very glad you are all liking the story!**

**Well that's it from me then! Thank you all again for your reviews, favorites and follows. I truly do appreciate them all! Should have more soon! **

**Stay Classy!**


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